3D Gog (1953) (2 Viewers)

[Dick]

I loved this film as a kid, watching lots of Saturday t.v. (13" black and white) when I should have been outside playing, and caught it every time it turned up on T.V. Guide movies listing. God and Magog were/are about as threatening as the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em" robots I had in my closet, but I dug them all the same. This restoration is uncannily great to me, and I thank all those involved with it for offering me a time portal back to the lazier, less threatening days of my youth.

 

[Charles Smith]

Excellent interview, Bob.

 

[Mike Ballew]

I just got home from the midnight screening of Gog at the TCM Festival in Hollywood. I've owned the Blu-Ray since Day One and have watched it a number of times over the past two months, but seeing Gog tonight on the big screen was a special treat. My group sat way up in the auditorium, about three-quarters of the way back from the screen, and (as you might expect) the off-the-screen effects were more pronounced and dramatic than I've ever seen them. The colors were bright and vivid, the image nice and sharp. When I first saw Gog at World 3-D Film Expo I back in 2003, I never could have dreamed I would someday see it looking this gorgeous.

The entertainment value of the film, already considerable in my view, was heightened by a responsive and vocal crowd who laughed where appropriate but in the end really seemed to respect the film for the sci-fi adventure yarn it is. (One fellow on the row directly ahead of us had the most amusing and contageous laugh I've heard in quite a while, God bless him.)

A brief introduction by our collective best friends Bob and Greg really made clear to the audience the succession of near-miracles and months of careful and arduous work that led to the restored edition we now enjoy. Just about everyone in this Forum is well aware of that story, but it gave me great personal satisfaction to see and hear the reactions of a large group of knowledgeable film enthusiasts learning for the first time the story of Gog's sixty-year journey to restoration, and applauding the two fine men responsible.

Incidentally, Bob made a remarkable statement that I look forward to hearing him repeat here, in good time. It is bound to make a great many of you very, very happy, as it does me.

 

[marcuslaw]

Incidentally, Bob made a remarkable statement that I look forward to hearing him repeat here, in good time. It is bound to make a great many of you very, very happy, as it does me.

Bob? Is it "It Came from Outer Space"? Come on. Spit it out.

 

[revgen]

I went to the Gog screening with Mike last night and had a great time. Thankfully, he had an extra ticket on hand and I didn't even have to pay to get in. Thanks Mike! Before the film, Bob and Greg talked about how the film was restored using the only found footage of the left eye. When Greg showed the restoration demo of what the left eye looked like before and after, the crowd was impressed. Then the movie started, and the audience laughed and chuckled at the goofy dialogue throughout the picture and hurled when they saw Herbert Marshall with a flamethrower. I was surprised how many people were there for a midnight screening. Many of them were young people too. Very diverse crowd. The RealD projector they used at the Chinese Multiplex is fairly bright for a RealD projector, and didn't look too dark at all. I wouldn't be surprised if they bought a new bulb for the TCM festival.

Also, as Mike alluded to in his post, Bob dropped some news about a vintage 3-D release we're all looking forward to. 2016 is looking like it could be a banner year for golden age and silver age 3-D. Very exciting times!

 

[Bob Furmanek]

It's always great to discover new and previously unknown information.

Up to now, we've believed GOG to have only five 3-D play-dates in 1954, all of them in southern California. We've just discovered a sixth 3-D booking! The Broadway Capitol in Detroit - the same theater where CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and REVENGE OF THE CREATURE premiered - played GOG in all its 3-D excitement in August, 1954.

I wonder if there are other undocumented 3-D bookings...

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

It's always great to discover new and previously unknown information.

Up to now, we've believed GOG to have only five 3-D play-dates in 1954, all of them in southern California. We've just discovered a sixth 3-D booking! The Broadway Capitol in Detroit - the same theater where CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and REVENGE OF THE CREATURE premiered - played GOG in all its 3-D excitement in August, 1954.

I wonder if there are other undocumented 3-D bookings...

"Open All Night 'til 6:30 am"

I want to go to that 4:00 am double feature show.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

3,500 seats. Wow!

It's now the Detroit Opera House.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

"Open All Night 'til 6:30 am"

I want to go to that 4:00 am double feature show.

I'll fire up my projector at 4am one morning if you wanna have a party! I was thinking the other night that next time I watch Gog it should be well after midnight.

 

[Jeff S in NJ]

It's now the Detroit Opera House.

Really?

I had the extreme pleasure two years ago of having a private tour of the Detroit Opera House by one of it's technical staff members. I got to see the entire place, top to bottom (and above the ceiling too!), other nooks & carnies, and the roof. It is quite a place, beautifully restored.

(remind me sometime Bob to show you the pictures)

 

[bujaki]

Really?

I had the extreme pleasure two years ago of having a private tour of the Detroit Opera House by one of it's technical staff members. I got to see the entire place, top to bottom (and above the ceiling too!), other nooks & carnies, and the roof. It is quite a place, beautifully restored.

(remind me sometime Bob to show you the pictures)

It's gorgeous! At least it wasn't torn down.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Here's a fabulous review of our GOG presentation at the TCM Festival: https://moviemaniamadness.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/tcmff-herbert-l-strocks-gog-in-3d/

 

[Everett S.]

It's always great to discover new and previously unknown information.

Up to now, we've believed GOG to have only five 3-D play-dates in 1954, all of them in southern California. We've just discovered a sixth 3-D booking! The Broadway Capitol in Detroit - the same theater where CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and REVENGE OF THE CREATURE premiered - played GOG in all its 3-D excitement in August, 1954.

I wonder if there are other undocumented 3-D bookings...

View attachment 31107

Wow $1.00 for a double feature. I wonder how many seats that theater had?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

3,500 seats

 

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Here's a fabulous review of our GOG presentation at the TCM Festival: https://moviemaniamadness.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/tcmff-herbert-l-strocks-gog-in-3d/

Warner Bros. spent $300,000 to restore House of Wax, Furmanek and his team could only spend $10,000 on GOG, which is owned by MGM, but you couldn’t tell. It was like a movie made yesterday.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

When I began looking for 3-D elements more than 30 years ago, my goal was to get these films out of the vaults and available for people to see again as the filmmakers intended. Now with the 3-D Blu-ray format, you can view these films in the comfort of your home in a quality comparable (and with our alignment work - surpassing) the original theatrical presentations.

It's important for copyright holders to realize that you do not have to mortgage the studio to remaster a 3-D feature: we can do it at a fraction of the cost AND deliver a master worthy of 3-D Blu-ray and DCP release.

 

[Dr Griffin]

I see you're having a showing and Q&A at the AFI Silver next month, Bob. Saturday June 4th at 5:15PM. I'm planning on being there.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

I'll be there too!

Please be sure to say hello.

http://silver.afi.com/Browsing/Movies/Details/m-0100000689

 

[Bob Furmanek]

We remember William Schallert,1922 - 2016. The man had an incredible career and was always cordial to his many fans. May he rest in peace.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/10/a...r-on-the-patty-duke-show-dies-at-93.html?_r=1

 

[TravisR]

William Schallert was on a TV show in every decade from the 1950's up until the current decade. If he's not the only person who has done that, he has to be one of a very few. It was always fun seeing him on TV and in movies.